I’m sure that there must be female pipemakers, but I can’t think of any.
I haven’t heard of any practicing female pipe makers, but I did once read reference to a female pipe maker involved with with NPU pipe making classes. There’s brief mention to it in the below article, though I forget where I first read about it.
As it nears the half-century, the organisation is still training new makers (and its apprentice players now include an all-female class, a situation once unimaginable).
https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/heritage/pipe-works-and-pipe-dreams-1.1939102
Did not Andreas Rogge have a lass making with him; and that couple on the west side of the Atlantic, on the east coast!!!
Making solo, may be not, but I doubt. But, plenty good females on all sorts of the arts, and the making side of them.
That’s right! I remember that she’s featured in some of the pipe making videos in NPU for the Rogge workshop.
That was Heike (I forget her last name), by the early/mid nineties she made her own set of pipes and was working for the Rogge workshop, making sets.
Andreas Rogge has two females working for him plus his wife doing leather work.
http://www.uilleann-pipes.de/en/about-us/
Cheers
Ferg
Heike Horstmann pipemaker in Rogge’s workshop
Stephanie Benson mechanical engineer and fiddle player makes uilleann pipes with her husband Tim Benson:
https://bensonuilleannpipes.com/about-us
Of course there is also Stephanie Benson who works together with her husband Tim.
https://bensonuilleannpipes.com/about-us
A few years back we shared some shop space at the Goderich festival and Steph was handcrafting some keys - and doing a fine job of it.
Outstanding piper Becky Taylor has also made some bags, bellows and chanters.
TG4 Player is again showing their Mná an Cheoil series, with this show featuring women pipers. At about 17:30 it features Tara Connaghan who is studying pipemaking through Na Piobairi Uilleann and mentions some additional women makers in Andreas Rogge’s shop. Don’t know when the show was filmed and whether Ms. Connaghan has moved on with her making or not.
Best wishes.
Steve
When I was last in Ireland in 2016, the series was airing for the first time, with a new episode/instrument featured every week. So I would guess they were actually filmed not long ago, maybe 2015 or 2016.
I know it’s a small thing but females=biology; women=people.